ECSE Core Curriculum Innovation in Engineering Education

Core Curriculum Overview Interactive learning materials, Technologies, & Pedagogy Courses/Curricula Outreach programs Student activities, & Workshops Assessment & Dissemination Next Generation Engineering Learning Environments New Educational Materials, Curricula & Practices Education Research ECSE Research Studio Pedagogy InnovativeInnovativeInteractiveInteractiveEngagingEngaging

Core Curriculum Support Materials

Core Curriculum Needs  Reinforce fundamentals  Utilize and disseminate “best-of-breed” pedagogical approaches & successful models  Address and accommodate the diverse learning styles of today’s student population  Incorporate application case studies to motivate diverse learners  Expose students to complex system design, manufacturing, and implementation/utilization  Provide the ability to ask the “what if” questions (For example: Why in this range would an ideal linear model be valuable/inappropriate?)

Use of Interactive Materials Provide the opportunity to examine ECSE fundamentals via the creation of:  Tutorial and simulation units - providing the background necessary to understand/visualize technical issues and guide/help the students through the learning process  Problem sessions and challenges - engaging students in the thought processes involved in electrical design  Remote monitoring and control - allowing students to perform, observe and control experiments  Multimedia case studies, expert consultation and video products - providing relevant examples from industrial representatives

Module Utilization – sample Interactive learning materials are used in- class as: 1.Topic introductions 2.Concept visualization 3.Structured activities 4.Design problem support 5.Exploration & experimentation

Sample topic: Intro to Mesh Analysis 1.Topic introduction: Review of Kirchhoff’s Voltage Laws (PowerPoint slides – 10min) 2.Concept visualization : Various mesh currents are labeled and component values are selected in a 2-mesh ladder circuit (Module – 10min) 3.Structured activities: Various mesh currents are labeled and component values are selected in a 2-mesh ladder circuit. The students then work with the instructor (using the module) to set-up the two equations and solve for the output voltage. (Module – 5min) 4.Design problem support: The students use the module on their own computer to help solve the assigned problems – the students’ work is “Scribed” for further analysis by the instructors (Module – 5min) 5.Exploration & experimentation: The module is then used to verify the students’ results, when asked to design/modify the circuit for a particular V out. (Module – 5min) Module Utilization – sample

Learning Technologies Scribe: a means to capture, review and modify a student’s use of an interactive learning module. WebTeam: a tool that allows interactive, collaborative exploration, design and testing via the Internet.

Scribe Technology Scribe provides a means to record a user’s interaction with an interactive learning module and play it back in an environment called “Bard” (as depicted below).

WebTeam Technology WebTeam is a multimedia networking technology that allows easy communication between Interactive Learning Modules playing on different computers that are connected via the Internet.

Evaluation Summary Formal questionnaire correlated with videotape analysis 9% Student performance improved by 9% Website utilization: o > 1M hits/yr. (2003: 40% fall, 60% spring) o Greatest utilization between 10pm & 2am Circuit Solver” Scribed version of “Circuit Solver” showed “block” for learning mesh analysis (based upon summing voltages - KVL) after nodal analysis (based upon summing voltages - KCL)